What Is an AMRAP Workout?

As the name implies, you’re going to be performing as many reps as possible. This is where the name ‘AMRAP’ comes from.

These workouts tend to have a specific time – so a 10-minute AMRAP will give you that much time to perform as many reps as possible.

Rounds: A Different Type of AMRAP Workout

“AMRAP -Rounds” workouts provide another awesome tool for getting the most from your training.

In these workouts, the “R” stands for rounds. So you are focused on getting through as many rounds as possible.

Instead of just counting how many reps you do (a challenge by itself!), these workouts allow you to string together more than one exercise.

We’ll provide examples of both, but these can be great for resting or alternating between easier and tougher exercises.

Is AMRAP HIIT?

Since HIIT and CrossFit are both popular, there is definitely some overlap.

We wouldn’t call AMRAPs HIIT, since real high-intensity training is about putting in maximum effort over a short time.

AMRAP workouts just tend to be too long to be considered HIIT. You can’t perform high-intensity exercise for 10 minutes (by definition). If you’re doing as many reps as possible in under a minute, that might be high-intensity.

Some AMRAP – Rounds workouts are HIIT. This is one of the benefits they provide, but overall there’s a medium intensity to CrossFit AMRAP workouts.

Benefits: Why Use AMRAP?

You might think that this type of training doesn’t fit your style of training – but you’d be wrong.

Everyone from Bodybuilders to Strongmen to Triathletes can make use of these high-effort, low-rest workouts. The benefits aren’t CrossFit-specific!

AMRAP workouts for long durations are brutal but getting better at this type of work makes you a better athlete.

This type of training is going to help when you have to push yourself – such as during a competition.

Time-Efficiency

If you want a great workout on a tight schedule, an AMRAP could be perfect.

This type of constant, high-effort workout is going to pack the fat-burning benefits of an hour on the treadmill into a short time.

If you work 6x harder for 1/6th of the time, you’re going to have all the benefits in a timeframe that fits your life.

This is even more beneficial if you’re trying to get strength and conditioning work done in one session.

An easy CrossFit workout would be 1-2 strength exercises and a 10-minute AMRAP. A full workout in under an hour.

Conditioning Power

If you’re pushing yourself to the max for 10 minutes, you’re going to get fitter.

CrossFit AMRAPs are used in the training of many athletes to boost their fitness and endurance. This type of high-effort training is a great way to get fitter faster.

It’s specific to a lot of popular sports like football and martial arts, as well as the demands of military and public service fitness.

Learning to push yourself hard for medium-durations is key to well-rounded fitness and health.

Autoregulation: Workouts that React

This is a fancy word for a workout that adapts to how you feel on the day.

You’ve had great days in the gym and awful days – we all have. However, AMRAP workouts are a great way to get the work in without worrying about a specific rep count.

You can just get moving and push yourself for the duration. If you feel weak, you’ll just get less reps, while you can really push yourself on a good day.

This is one of the best ways to “listen to your body”: AMRAP workouts are tough, but there’s no pressure to hit a specific number of reps – making them a great choice for lighter days (depending on what movements you’re doing).

9 Best AMRAP Workouts

We’re going to be outlining 9 of our favorite AMRAP workouts. These aren’t specific to CrossFit, but they do provide key benefits to functional fitness enthusiasts.

The first 3 are strictly bodyweight AMRAPs, while the rest involve some equipment. You can perform most of these at a home gym, and they progress from easy to difficult.

It’s totally possible to work through these workouts 1-9, but they get much harder so pick the ones that sound achievable at your experience level!

1. Death by Burpees

This is a simple workout that’s going to have you breathing heavy.

You can never get too good at burpees, so you’re going to be spending 8 minutes racking up as many as possible.

This is a reps-based workout, so you want to break it up a little bit and keep track of your rep-count every so often.

It’s easy for technique to break down in a long AMRAP, so focus on movement quality and stuff you know you can do well for 10+ minutes!

There’s a reason we don’t do 10-minute AMRAPs with deadlifts and snatches: because they’re high-risk when your technique breaks down. On the other hand, burpees are brutal, but don’t pose much risk.

Have A Plan and Pace

When you’re approaching this kind of workout, you might be tempted to push yourself the whole 10+ minutes.

This is going to be a marathon, not a sprint. Think about how long you have and break the larger task down into smaller chunks.

If you’ve got a 15 minute AMRAP of burpees (to use our last example), then focus on doing ‘clusters’ of 10 reps at a time.

This type of plan sets a consistent pace and allows you to catch your breath. If you keep pace for the whole workout, you’ll have better results than rushing from the start and exhausting yourself!

Master the Technique

If you’re working with a new exercise, the best approach is to spend a little time before your AMRAP workouts getting familiar with what you’re supposed to do.

Even simple exercises benefit from technique work – doing the movement properly is going to result in healthier joints and stronger muscles.

If you’re going to be doing lots of reps, any movement problems are amplified. Getting things right from the very start is key, so don’t rush yourself. Take your time to perform movements correctly before doing 100s of repetitions!

Be Sociable

AMRAP workouts are challenging and they provide a certain mental difficulty that makes them draining.

The best way to get through this – for most people – is to perform them with other people. If you’re training at a home gym, this might mean inviting a friend around to struggle along with you.

If you train at a CrossFit gym, then there’s a good chance you’ll have coaches and other enthusiasts around performing the same workouts.

Either way, struggling through these workouts alone is far less fun than having people cheer you on. Finding a supportive group of people makes anything better – and you might need it!s

Summary

AMRAP workouts are a key part of CrossFit but they can be used by anyone.

The two types – reps and rounds – have specific benefits and provide two awesome tools for your training toolkit.

Try out the workouts we’ve built above: this type of training might be perfect for your goals. At the very least, it provides a great way to challenge yourself and burn a lot of calories in a short space of time.

Never stop experimenting with new ways of training. AMRAP workouts are a cool way to add some variety and keep things fresh!